Earth as a Supercomputer: Hitchhiker's Guide Infographic
Chapter 1

From radio waves to the trilogy of five

Chapter 2

An earthman and his strange alien companions

Chapter 3

Towels, guides, and Babel fish

Chapter 4

The ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything

Chapter 5

From BBC radio to Hollywood

YOUR GOAL

Master of The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

Ch 4 · The ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything
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schopenhauer Why the answer is forty-two

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schopenhauer The Ultimate Question

Forty-two! Forty-two! What is the question we never knew?

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schopenhauer The computer called Earth

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The computer called Earth

schopenhauer Earth was actually a giant organic supercomputer designed to find the Ultimate Question.

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Why the answer is forty-two

schopenhauer Author Douglas Adams chose the number 42 simply because it was a completely ordinary, small number.

Sep 5

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The 42 Device*
    *   *The Don't Panic Button* (Very
BETA

schopenhauer Decode cosmic trivia and quotes to master the entire Hitchhiker's Guide series.

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Fun Fact

Meaning of 42: In ASCII computer code, the number 42 represents an asterisk, which acts as a wildcard meaning 'anything you want'.

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Glossary
forty-two (noun)
The cardinal number equal to the product of six and seven. The supercomputer Deep Thought calculated this value as the final solution to existence after millions of years.

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Gossip

What is the true meaning of 42?

Sep 5

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Quiz

What planet was actually a giant organic supercomputer designed to find the Ultimate Question?

Sep 5

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schopenhauer The supercomputer Deep Thought

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Quiz

What did Douglas Adams say was his reason for choosing the number 42?

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schopenhauer So long and thanks for all the fish

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Quiz

Why did Deep Thought's creators fail to understand the meaning of the answer '42'?

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Quiz

What is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything?

Sep 5

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Quiz

Who were actually the hyper-intelligent, multi-dimensional creators of the Earth computer?

Sep 5

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Quiz

How many years did the supercomputer Deep Thought take to calculate the Ultimate Answer?

Sep 5

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Quiz

What is the final message left by the dolphins when they departed Earth?

Sep 5

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Quiz

What is the name of the planet-manufacturing world where Earth was built?

Sep 5